Many people enter into treatment with the belief that their problems with drugs and alcohol are too extreme for recovery to be possible. Fortunately, these beliefs are misconceptions. Recovery is possible for anyone, no matter how far their disease has progressed, so long as they are capable of honesty.

The three spiritual principles required for the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. The concepts are simple, but people often take years to develop the willingness to seek help, usually after considerable negative consequences. However, the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains that the extremity of our addiction can become one of our greatest assets in recovery: “No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away.” Nobody has gone too far down the scale of addiction to be incapable of recovery, and often our “rock bottom” experiences put us in a position of being able to help others who are struggling.

The Big Book states: “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. They are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.” As long as we have the capability to be honest, we can recover. If we can grasp the concept of honesty, we are not constitutionally incapable of recovery. The Big Book continues, “There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.” Many men and women enter into treatment with co-occurring mental health problems, but they do recover. If we can honestly examine ourselves and realize that we need help, and we can summon the courage to be honest, open-minded, and willing, we are well on our way to recovery.

Recovery is possible. Once we concede to the fact that our addiction is a problem and we require help to overcome it, we can begin the rewarding journey of recovery. Resilient House, located in beautiful Shreveport, Louisiana, brings together the highest quality behavioral health and addictions specialists, spiritual guides, and holistic experts to help clients develop all the necessary tools to achieve a fulfilling life in sobriety. For information about treatment options, please call today: (833) 242-6431